Affiliation:
1. Department of Anthropology University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
2. Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
3. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
4. Department of Anthropology Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
Abstract
AbstractPubertal research has primarily focused on hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis (HPG) regulation of puberty, though the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA) is increasingly considered critical. Heightened HPA function proxied by increasing cortisol levels may play a role in accelerated pubertal timing. However, the extent to which cortisol varies across ages and its relation to pubertal changes in linear growth are less well substantiated. We explored relationships between age, linear growth, adiposity, C‐peptide (proxy for insulin), and cortisol across puberty, and we tested whether higher cortisol levels are associated with earlier ages at menarche and peak height velocity. We utilize longitudinal data (n = 777 urine samples) from Qom females ages 7–14 (n = 46) and test our pre‐registered analysis using Bayesian longitudinal mixed effects models and joint modeling techniques. We find limited evidence supporting the overarching hypothesis that HPA upregulation is associated with pubertal maturation or timing. We find some evidence that HPA upregulation, as proxied by cortisol, may be more clearly related to differences in relative linear growth at early‐mid puberty, as measured by height‐for‐age z‐scores. Transdisciplinary perspectives on puberty, including the assumption that stressors acting via cortisol accelerate pubertal development, are discussed.